What is one question you have or something you want to know about timelines?
Timelines are graphic representations of the chronology of
events in time. While they are often used as a way to display
information in visual form in textbooks as an alternative to
written narrative, students can also become more actively
engaged in learning the sequence of events in history by
constructing timelines themselves.
Students can begin with timelines of their own lives.
Literature about a child's birthday can begin a study of
timelines with younger students. Many books of children's
and young adult literature for older students, particularly
nonfiction history, show timelines. Read and discuss a book
with students, leading into the activity of constructing a
timeline with events from each of their own lives using a
reader response prompt such as "Think about the important
events in your life over the years, and you can each make a
timeline."
Each student can begin with their date of birth and then
make a list of the subsequent years of their lives, with at
least one important event for each year. These lists should
be developmentally appropriate for each grade but can
become increasingly complex through the grades.
Information on what was happening in the world around
them can be added as well. Teachers can co-construct the
guidelines for creating a timeline with students, depending
on their grade and area of study in the social studies (e.g.,
the family in kindergarten, the community in Grade 3, U.S.
history in Grade 5, world history in Grade 6, etc.). These
parallel timelines afford students a view of the world during
their own lifetime, situating themselves in the context of the
historical events of the time.
There are several types of timelines a teacher can choose,
depending on the grade, area of study in social studies, and
needs of students:
Horizontal : from left to right
Vertical: from bottom to top
Illustrated: pictures added
Table top timelines : add objects, artifacts,
photographs in frames, etc. to a timeline on a table or
counter in a classroom
Circles : this could be a clock or represent a journey
that ended where it began
Computer generated : use Word, Excel, or PowerPoint,
adding information to create a personal or historical
timeline
Meandering : a timeline could represent a journey or
migration that did not follow a linear path
Map: put a timeline directly on a map to show both
distance, place, and time on a Journey
Parallel timelines : put a student's life on the left and
world events on the right
Living timelines : construct a large timeline that uses
the walls or floor of the room using lengths of butcher
paper; students can learn about and dress to
represent historical events and then tell other member
of the class, or an audience of other classes, about
the period
